House passes bill to reform K-12, allowing students to skip Senior High

House passes bill to reform K-12, allowing students to skip Senior High


House Bill 11213, titled "An Act Providing Education Pathways for Basic Education Students," has passed the third reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill introduces two alternative pathways for students after Grade 10:

• University Preparatory Program – Qualified students can bypass Senior High School (SHS) by taking an Honors Exam, allowing direct entry into college or university.

• Technical-Vocational Program – Students who do not meet university admission requirements can enroll in TESDA-administered vocational programs.

Rep. Roman Romulo, Chair of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, emphasized that the bill aims to ease tuition costs for parents and provide multiple education pathways based on students' abilities.

An "Honors Exam" or advance placement examination shall be made available to graduating Grade 10 students, allowing them to bypass SHS, contingent upon successful completion and passing of the said exam," said Romulo.

On the other hand, those who do not qualify for four-year university programs can enroll in the Technical-Vocational Program under the supervision of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).



The proposal responds to public dissatisfaction with the K-12 program, as surveys show that many SHS graduates struggle to find employment, with most employers preferring applicants with higher education credentials. The bill seeks to give students more flexibility in their academic and career choices while strengthening technical-vocational opportunities.

2 comments

eLizaCornejo said...
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eLizaCornejo said...

Lagot na paatras na naman tayo 🙁

Again as usual, RESEARCH, DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION na naman ang pagkakamali ng ating mga haligi ng edukasyon. Bira ng bira. Walang masusing pag-aaral para sa pangmatagalang pagpapatupad.

The major problem with the implementation of the K12 system is HUMAN PRIDE in the difficulty of accepting change. But this could have been solved.

MAIN PROBLEM:
The general education subjects in college have become redundant. They became a repeat of the subjects in the SH curriculum. The SH program was created so that we can be at par with 99% of the world where basic education is a full twelve years before employability. Most of the change happened in the basic ed sector and it was going fine until the graduates of SH entered college and realized that their first two years in college were mostly a repeat of their SH. So where was the problem? In the higher education sector.

SOLUTION:
CHED should have assisted colleges and universities to upskill and reskill the professors of the general subjects who are mostly "tenured." Upskill and reskill for what? To design specialized courses that will reinforce and supplement the chosen field of study of the student.

Instead of adding two more years of highly specialized subjects for respective courses, the HEIs (higher education institutions) did not want to rock the boat of tenured professors who have been teaching general subjects like history, biology, Filipino, English etc. Hence the redundancy, and a burning a hole in the pocket of parents paying for college in private institutions.

I really hope this amendment be REVISITED and RESTUDIED well by educators who are aligned and attuned with the future of education.